Lawrence council confirms Maurice Aguilar as police chief after personnel committee recommendation

The Lawrence City Council confirmed Captain Maurice Aguilar as the city’s police chief on May 20, 2025, approving the personnel committee’s favorable recommendation and accepting public testimony supporting an internal promotion.

The confirmation follows an interview and vetting process by the council’s personnel committee. Supporters who spoke at the council meeting praised Aguilar’s years of service and local knowledge; Thomas Cuddy, identifying himself as a member of the Lawrence Police Department, urged the council to back the nomination, saying, “I strongly urge each and every 1 of you to vote affirmatively to approve the mayor’s nomination for the next police chief, Maurice Aguilar.”

Aguilar told the council he intends to continue a long record of local service if confirmed. “I’m going to give my all every single day as I have, for most of my life,” he said in his remarks to the council, adding that he would be “available to you, as I always have been long before this day.” During questioning he outlined priorities including recruitment and retention, reducing overtime by filling vacancies, and restoring community engagement the department relied on before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Council discussion before the vote focused on operational priorities raised in the personnel hearing and during the public meeting: the department’s staffing levels and overtime, strategies to address motorcycle noise and public order, and community policing and outreach. Aguilar said recruitment was a short-term priority, and that fully staffing the force would reduce overtime and officer burnout. He told the council he intends to “sit with each of you individually” to align departmental resources with neighborhood priorities.

The formal motion to confirm the appointment was made after the personnel committee’s report; the council voted by roll call. The clerk recorded affirmative votes from the nine councilors present, and the council president declared the appointment approved. During his remarks after confirmation, Aguilar said that if confirmed he would begin “starting first thing tomorrow morning.”

The appointment ends an extended period without a permanent chief; council testimony noted the city had been operating without a confirmed chief since early 2023. The council’s action now sends implementation responsibilities to the mayor’s office and the police department for onboarding and any administrative follow up.

Details from the meeting, including the personnel committee hearing, are available on the council’s YouTube channel and in the meeting minutes.